


we're going forwards

by dehydrateddragon



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Post-Canon, because oldpotatoe hurts me, i hope zukka nation one day can heal, i wrote this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:54:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28201914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dehydrateddragon/pseuds/dehydrateddragon
Summary: ”You.” He whispers.Oh, shit. Oh no. No, no, no, no.Sokka just stares straight ahead, eyes wide. Promptly not at Zuko. He is absolutely mortified. This was not supposed to happen.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 47
Kudos: 339





	we're going forwards

**Author's Note:**

  * For [oldpotatoe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/oldpotatoe/gifts).
  * Inspired by [feels like we only go backwards](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25268089) by [oldpotatoe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/oldpotatoe/pseuds/oldpotatoe). 



> There's this fanficton called 'feels like we only go backwards', and it hurts me on the daily. So, after daydreaming about this happening instead of what actually happened in the fic, I decided to write it down.
> 
> I should tell you though, if you want to read this, you should read 'feels like we only go backwards' first. It's by the lovely oldpotatoe here on AO3 and over on Tumblr. It's linked above.
> 
> (Don't take this too seriously please. I'm not very good at writing, so consider this a semi-crackfic.)

-

  
“Sokka,” Zuko says. When Sokka looks up, he finds Zuko watching him with knitted brows (brow?). “I just want to help. If you don’t want to do this—”

“No!” Sokka shakes his head vehemently. “No, I’m— it’s just.” He sighs. “Everyone’s got so many expectations with this, you know? I just don’t want to fuck it up and disappoint them.”

“Hey.” Zuko closes one hand over Sokka’s knee. The warmth is startling— Sokka’s breath grows choppy for a split second before he remembers to exhale.

“Don’t worry about that,” Zuko says, looking earnestly in Sokka’s eyes. “Remember that this is optional. You should be doing this because you want to, not because of what anyone else expects from you.”

The smile dips, twists, falls away. “So, what do you want, Sokka?”

_You_ , comes the automatic answer, but he can’t say that. It might scare him, but deep down, he knows it's true. It’s been on Sokka’s mind for days now, damn it. And now, with the subject in question in front of him, it’s all that Sokka’s brain can supply as an answer.  
_Come on, dude. Come up with an acceptable one._

But of course it won’t help him. It is like always when Sokka has interest in someone, it’s impossible to think about _anything_ else.

_Youyouyou.You.Youyou,you._

”You.” He whispers.

Oh, shit. Oh no. No, no, no, no.

Sokka just stares straight ahead, eyes wide. Promptly not at Zuko. He is absolutely mortified. This was not supposed to happen.

“I mean. I don’t. Uhm.” Sokka stammers. With no idea how to fix this hell of a situation he has put himself in, he scrambles for a solution. No one taught him how to handle this! Do you, like, run away and pretend it never happened? That seems like an easy solution, but it would probably come back and bite him in the ass later, so _nope don’t do that._

He looks up to see Zuko’s questioning face. No, that's not exactly it. Zuko looks confused, relieved and just as scared as Sokka feels, all at the same time. _How does he even do that?_  
Sokka realizes then, that he doesn’t even want to run away. What if Zuko also has these bottled up feelings for Sokka? The chance is probably not high, but he has learned that it’s better to be honest in most situations.  
Something in Sokka tells him that he should help himself out here, and explain. To fix this mess. Zuko has been nothing but supportive of Sokka since he woke up. Even if it is like everyone says, Zuko and him are just very good pals, he would still be able to help Sokka sort out his thoughts and feelings, right?  
But. Maybe he should play it off like Zuko heard him wrong. If he confesses his ( _small_ , thank you very much) crush on Zuko, it will be real. And then he hurts the partner he had, before he forgot all about them.

“Sokka, wha-,” Zuko starts, his face has now changed from mixed-up confusion to determined, like he’s trying to fix this himself. Explain to Sokka that he’s an awful human being for having these feelings and betraying his partner.

No, Sokka has to sort this out himself.

“No, let me. I mean- I don't know how to say this really, but, i guess- You heard me, you know?” Sokka can feel the tears straining behind his eyes. It’s a lot, and it has been for so long now, “But I have someone! Apparently. But no one will tell who it is, so I’m kind of in this constant state of freaking out, because for some reason I now like you! Uhm. So...I don’t- I don't know what to do! I found this poem, and then Katara confirmed it. And we loved each other, but I don’t even know who they are. But I still don't want to hurt them, but now i like you. Romantically.”

Welp, he’s full-on crying now. He’s so overwhelmed and is breaking down completely. In front of Zuko. But, for some reason, he doesn't seem to care. The hand on his knee helps calm his nerves, but his brain is still going too fast. He knows he’s rambling but he really doesn't care about that either. It’s usually then he gets his point across, even if the person he's talking to doesn't understand a word.

Every feeling from everything that has happened to him these last few weeks just flows through Sokka now. He slumps down with his face in his hands and just _feels_ them. Zuko's hand moves from Sokka’s knee to his back while another hand reaches Sokka's waist on the other side.

“You don't have-” Sokka tries, but he’s gone onto the hiccup stage of crying and is struggling to get the words out.

“Say that again,” Zuko says.

_What?_ “What?” Sokka asks, a frown now on his face.

“Please, say what you just said again.”

“What? Are you kidding me? This is already one of the worst-” Hiccup. “Worst interactions of my life!”

“Just- Please. I need to say something.” Zuko begs. _Go on, just reject me already, will you._

“Uhm, ‘you don't have to?’”

“No- no, before that”

“I- “ Hiccup. “Don't want to hurt them... but I- I like you?” _Spirits, do you want me to die out of embarrassment?_

“I am them, Sokka!” Zuko exclaims, shaking Sokka by the shoulders.

Zuko's face is hopeful now, looking into Sokka's eyes, searching. Sokka thinks he can see tears starting to form in Zuko's eyes.  
But he’s smiling?

_Wait._ What did Zuko just say?

When Sokka's brain finally decides to catch him up on the situation, he physically retracts so that Zuko’s hands land on Sokka’s arms instead. After a second of no brain activity at Sokka’s, it’s now working on overdrive, trying to understand what’s going on. It’s good that Sokka is used to this, because otherwise he would probably combust on the spot while his brain tries to connect the dots for him,

_The necklace,  
Zuko was in my room when I woke up,  
the poem,  
fire lilies,  
I don't know either mine or Zuko's partner,  
Tucky,  
getting tea for me,  
blooming cheeks._

If there was any chance of Sokka’s tears to stop streaming before, it’s completely gone now.  
_Of course, thank the spirits, thank Yue, and yes,_ is all Sokka can think. He looks at Zuko again and takes him by his arms, then he folds down into Zuko’s lap and stops trying to hold back the tears.  
After a second or two of shock, Zuko wraps his arms around Sokka in an awkward hug from above and holds him. Sokka finds it so comforting, and he knows that Zuko knows it.  
They sit in the meditation garden for minutes, or hours. Only the sounds of Sokka’s sobbing and Zuko’s occasional sush-ing coming from there. Sokka’s lying in Zuko's lap trying to calm himself down with help from Zuko hugging him. It feels so right, now that he knows, to seek comfort from Zuko.

Maybe it always was, but he wouldn't let himself trust in that earlier.

-

Just as Zuko thinks that someone might come looking for them soon, he looks up, having buried his face in Sokka's shirt, to find Katara and Suki standing in the doorway to the garden. Katara must have left sometime during Sokka’s breathing practice.

He can't see their facial expressions from this far away, but from the way they look frozen in shock where they are standing, he can tell they are worried. Zuko's cheeks are also tear stained at this point, which likely doesn't help Katara and Suki's confusion.

Zuko gives them a smile and raises one hand to touch his throat where his betrothal necklace sat before, his other hand now stroking Sokka on his back. Katara and Suki seem to figure out they're not in any immediate danger and turn to go back into the palace, though whispering intensely about something to each other.  
That's when Sokka notices that something is going on and looks up to Zuko, still holding tight to his arms. Zuko looks down at Sokka and strokes away the tears on Sokka's face, not being bothered by the ones staining his own lap.

“Can we go inside?” Sokka grumbles. He is so tired from all the crying and the emotional flood that broke in him just now, he just wants to take a nap and think through everything later, when he can do it better.

“Of course,” Zuko tells him, but Sokka doesn't make any moves to get up. “Do you want me to carry you?”

“Mmhm,” Is all that comes from Sokka, so Zuko stands up swiftly with Sokka in his arms and starts to walk into the palace.  
_Woah, Sokka from Before, you chose wisely,_ Sokka thinks to himself. Even when he’s completely drained, his hormonal brain manages. Obviously.

When they reach Sokka's room, Zuko sits him down on the foot of the bed. But Sokka is still set on a nap, so he scoots up to lay down his head on the pillows. Zuko searches the room for a blanket to carefully lay over Sokka, but then he just stands beside the bed awkwardly, not knowing what to do now.  
When Sokka murmurs _goodnight_ , he starts to walk out of the room, maybe to give Sokka some space, but mainly because he doesn't have any other ideas.

“Can you... stay, ‘uko? Please?” Sokka squeaks out quietly, half engulfed by the big, royal, pillows. If Zuko's wasn't so observant of Sokka's every move as he is, he wouldn't have heard it.

“Always, Sokka.” Zuko answers. Because it's true.

-

When the sun reaches the horizon, who knows how many hours later, Zuko decides he can't wait any longer to go to the bathroom. They've been napping in Sokka's room for the better part of the day so unless he’s going to wet the bed like a child (which, also, would make things more inconvenient for Sokka), he has to go now.

While Sokka has been sleeping since the moment Zuko sat down on the bed, Zuko has not slept one second this whole time. He has just been watching Sokka quietly, thinking about what he’s gonna do next.  
He did come to the conclusion that he can't decide that on his own, so he needs to talk to Katara for advice, and he will always choose her for guidance. Since Zuko is the adult between him and Sokka right now, he knows that he has to come up with the plan.

He has been crying too. Not like he does after he gets flashbacks about Ozai and the flames around his own face, but silently instead. Not sad tears, at least not entirely, but calm tears. Because he's glad he can breathe again.

“Sokka, I have to go to the bathroom,” Zuko declares, touching Sokka lightly on the shoulder to bring him to consciousness.

“Mhm, sure.” Sokka grunts back, and promptly goes back to sleep. _Okay,_ Zuko thinks, _I won't have to hurry back then._

Zuko rises from Sokka's bed, carefully, so he doesn't wake Sokka up again. Even though Zuko has been trying to be less controlled by the ridiculous rules he was taught as a child, there are still some of them that he feels the need to follow.  
Or as he likes to call those; _manners_ , when Katara gets on him for it.  
So, he goes to his own bathroom. It just feels wrong to use Sokka's now, even though he did Before. They haven't talked about what's going to change yet, so Zuko can’t assume that it would be okay.

To get to his own private bathroom, he has to pass the dining hall. He throws a glance in there and spots Suki and Katara sitting, sharing a snack and chatting with each other. He did decide earlier that he needs to talk to Katara, so he changes his course to peek his head into the hall. No one else is there so he isn't embarrassed like he would be otherwise.

“Hey, I just need to go to the bathroom, but can you stay here? I will be right back.” Zuko asks, “I need to talk to you.”

Katara and Suki look up to him in the doorway, and nod encouragingly.  
A few minutes later, Zuko appears in the dining hall again, the girls just where he left them.  
He goes to sit at their table, next to Katara and across from Suki. They have some fire flakes on the table, Zuko takes a handful and puts them in his mouth. He hasn't eaten anything since breakfast before he met with Sokka this morning. He hadn't exactly planned for things to go this way today.

When he has chewed and swallowed the flakes, he takes out the necklace from his pocket and holds it in his hand, resting on the table. He keeps the necklace in his pocket at all times nowadays. Just to keep himself sane. He can feel their gazes following his hand. He figures that probably didn't help with their confusion yet again.

When he finally looks up to meet Suki and Kataras eyes, they see his tear stained face and their already worried faces double in intensity. Katara is the first one to speak,

“What _happened_ , Zuko? We have been worried sick about you and Sokka all day!” She says desperately.

Zuko usually has a hard time starting conversations, so when Katara starts it, it's easy to fall into a monologue. He tells them everything. Sokka's slip up, his own absolute shell-shock, Sokka's on-brand rambling, Zuko's confession and all he thought about while staying in bed with Sokka.

“So, he didn't faint?” Suki asks when Zuko is done.

“No, he just broke down crying. I don't know why he didn't faint. I- If i'm being honest, I didn't think about it. I was freaking out just as much as he was. Sorry…” Zuko confesses.

“It’s okay Zuko, I understand. It must mean he’s improving. He’s getting better, guys!” Katara encourages, looking to them both.

To Zuko, it all had been too good to be true, so he hadn't let himself believe that yet. But when Katara says it like that, it can actually sink in.  
And now he’s crying again. _Oh my gods, how much crying can one person do in one day?_

Katara wraps her arms around Zuko and silently cries with him. It’s such a relief for all of them. Suki reaches over the table and takes one of Katara and Zuko’s hands each in hers.

“It’s going to be alright,” Suki whispers.

After a minute or two, Zuko straightens up in his seat.

“I have to go back to him now,” He declares. “Do you want to come with me?” Regarding them both.

“Yes, of course we will,” Katara says. Because of course they would. He knows that, but it’s good with a reminder sometimes.

“I don't know where to go from here. He’s not well just because he knows now. I don't know…” Zuko stammers hopelessly.

“Me neither Zuko, but we will figure it out,” Katara affirms. “For now, you just have to be there for him. Like always.”

Yeah. Like _always_. And they all know it, because it's true.

-

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> And if you missed it; this work is inspired by 'feels like we only go backwards' by oldpotatoe. It's linked above the beginning notes.
> 
> Please consider leaving a comment, telling me what you think! :D


End file.
